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AUTOMATIC OUT-OUT FOR. ELEGTRIGLAMPS. Q No. 296,126. Patented Apr. 1,1884.

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AUTOMATIU-CUT-OUT F03 ELBGTRIG LAMPS. No. 296,125.; Patented Apr. 1,1884 A,

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, UNITED STATES PATENT Oriana,

. GHARLES L. BUCKINGHAM AND HENRY G. TOWNSEND, OF NEXV YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATIC CUT-OUTFOR ELECTRIC LAMPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 296,125, datedApril 1,1884.

Application filed November 19,1888. (No model.)

5 the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements .in Automatic Out-Outs for Electric Lamps,of which the following is'a specification.

This application we desire to designate as OaseD. V In otherapplications for patent,

filed August 15, 1883, we have described and claimed means for enablingthe carbons of any one of a series of lamps to be cut out of circuitwithout causingthe cutting out of the other lamps-i. e., meansinconnection with a each lamp whereby a large increaseof resistance in thearc of one lamp should cause only that particular lamp and not others tobe cut out of circuit. In ourapplication for a patent, designated asCase B, No.'103,810, filed August 15, 1883,we described a normally openbranch or by-path around the arc of each lamp, which is periodicallyclosed by a circuitcloser operated by clock-work, and an electro-magnetin the arc branch of thelamp,

adapted, in case of a high are resistance at the time of any periodicclosing of thevby-path, to drop its armature to arrest the periodiccirnormally high arcresistance. Upon a material decrease of arcresistance enough current is reestablished throughthe coils of theelecture and permit the periodic circuit-closer to continue its rotationand break the circuit of the by-path. In our application designated asCase 0, and also filed August 15, 1883,

we. have described an arrangement in which we dispense with a locking ofthe periodic circuit-closer and make the magnet in the arc- I branchcontrol an independent cut-out or safe I ty branch, the arrangementbeing such that if 3 I the by-path is completed by the periodicc1rcuit-closer, the magnet in the arc branch will,

the arc resistance be. abnormally high when weaken, so that its armaturewill be drawn circuit-closer.

back and close a saftety branch which does not include thecontact-points of the periodic cuit-closerand hold the by-path aroundthe are closed during the continuance of the abtro-magnet in the arcbranch to lift its armaw Our presentinvention relates to all apparatusof the class claimed in our'prior application, and consisting, generallyspeaking, of a magnet in the arc branch which controls a safety orbranch circuit, and means for periodically closing a by-path ortest-circuit of comparatively low resistance around saidlmagnet, and theare or other translating device.

each lamp, we now employ an electro-magnet whose coils are in a secondand auxiliary line which extends from the central station, where thedynamo-machine for maintaining the lights is located, to each of thelamps. At thecentral station the auxiliary line is provided with arotating or other suitable periodic circuitcloser, which derives itsmotion from therotating shaft of the dynamo-machine, or from the motordriving the dynamo-machine, or any other convenient source of power. Ateach periodic closure of the auxiliary line the electro-magnet in saidline at each lamp at tracts an armature, to which is attached arelay-armature that serves to close the branch or by-path around the arcof the lamp; the arc resistance of the lamp be great'at the closing ofthe by-path, most of the main-line current will be diverted away fromthe arc and over the by-path, thus leaving too little current in the arcbranch to cause the electromagnet, whose coils form a part thereof, tohold its armature attracted to its core, whereupon the bar attached tosaid armature is retracted, thereby locking the armature-lever of theauxiliary line magnet or relay closed upon 0 its front contact andpermanently closing the by-path, or, as described in ourvGase O, closingan extra safety branch during the continuance of a high resistance in,the arc branch.

It is necessary that the periodic circuitclosing be effected quickly andat considerable intervals apart. As the resistance of the by-path aroundthe are of the lamps is not greatcompared with that of the arc branches,it is obvious that if the periodic circuit-closing were much prolongedthe lamps would wink, owing to the diversion of current from the arcs;but

. two minutes, for no considerable change in arc resistance could occurduring so short an interval. To provide a periodic circuit-closercomplying with all of these requirements, we have devised an apparatusfor converting a rapid continuous rotation derived from the shaft of thedynamo-machine or other rapidlyrotating body into an infrequent andrather quick movement. To accomplish this result the speed of the primemotor may be reduced toone-fourth bya belt-gear, then to one-fiftieth ofthe latter bya worm-gear, then to one-tenth of the latter byspur-gearing. The wheel to which such a slow rate of rotation isimparted is large, and has a' second segmental set of teeth equal to thenumber of teeth upon a pinion fixed to the rotating circuit-closer. Thusthe circuit-closing wheel will be given an entire rotation, during therotation of the segment-wheel, through an angle equal to the seg mentthereof, and the periodic circuit-closing will be effected while thecircuit-closing wheel is making a small fraction of a rotation. The

circuit-closing wheel preferably is about four inches in diameter, andthe contact portion is circumferentially about one-eighth of one inch inlength. If the circuit-closing wheel is caused to make a rotation in tenseconds, electrical contact will not be continued longer than aboutone-eighth of a second. To indicate that the auxiliary line is inworking condition, we place a tap-bell magnet in said line at thecentral station, and upon each periodic closing of the line the bellwill be sounded if it be in proper condition. To enable theshort-circuiting of the arc branch at any time between the periodiccircuit-closing, as in case of the falling out of a carbon, theelectromagnet of the arc branch may have a second armature adapted toclose a second by-path around the are; but this means we do not wish torely upon in the ordinary operation of the lamp, as those smallerincreases of arc resistance which should cause Line L extends from adynamo-machine or other generator, and, as shown in Fig. 1, has twolamps, respectively situated at A and B. At point Z, line 1 is dividedinto two branches, one embracing the carbons c c of the lamp and coilsof electro-magnet F, and the other branch forms a normally open shunt orby path around the arc. The by-path has its circuit through wire I),stop 0, spring O, relay-armature bar H, and resistance R. At points b ban auxiliary wire, L, much finer than L, is connected to L. and at apoint near the dynamo a periodic circuit-closer rotates intermittently,and at each rotation brings metallic portion J in contact withcontact-brushT. Line L is provided with an artificial resistance, R andat each lamp of the system includes the coils of an electro-magnet, E.Upon each rotation of O B, line L is closed and a short electricalimpulse passes over said line. Each impulse upon line L causes at eachlamp armature-bar H to be attracted, thus bringing spring 0 into contactwith anvil 0. During the instant of closing the by-path, whoseresistance is considerably greater than that of an arc of normalresistance, some current will be diverted from the arc branch, providingthe arc resistance be low; but if the carbons have burned away, so as tointerpose a large resist ance, a much greater part of current will bediverted from the arc branch through the bypath, thus leaving thecurrent too weak to longer hold armature-bar N against the force of itsretracting-spring p, and lever N will be retracted against stop it. 7Armature-bar H must make its movement as a condition precedent to thebackward movement of N; but if N be released at all its end will dropbehind 11 and lock H at or near its front position.

By using spring 0, which is in metallic con nection with H. said lever Hmay have a slight backward movement toward 0', under the influence ofspring q, without breaking contact between 0 and 0. After lever N haslocked H to form a contact in the by-path, saidbypath will'remain closeduntil the arc resistance shall have been removed, notwithstanding thatthe line L may almost instantly be broken by the periodic circuit-closerO B. At the removal of the resistance from the arc branch, however,armature-lever N will be raised and the by-path broken, and again theentire current will flow through the'arc branch.

Circuit-closer O B is geared to a constantlyrotating motor from apulley, P, by a belt, P, wheel Q, wormW, worm-gear wheel X, pinion Y,wheel Z, and sector of gear-teeth U. Wheel Q is four times the diameterof P, and for each rotation of Q wheel X will begiven one-fiftieth of arotation, and ten rotations of Y will effect one rotation of Z.Therefore, if 1? 1o time a thousand times a minute, wheel Z will rotateonly oncein two minutes. Upon wheel Z, though not in the same plane asthe teeth, which gear with pinion Y, is a sector of teeth, U, which gearwith the teeth of pinion V, and the teeth of U and V are equal innumber.

IIO

w a shunt or by path around the are, and an elec- If the sector U beonetwelfth of a circle, the

circuit-closing wheel 0 B will rotate in ten of the periphery of O B, Jwill not remain in lo I the agency of a continuous rotary motion. It

contact with T for longer than an eighth or a tenth of a second. By thismeans a very short and an infrequent contact is effected through isnecessary that circuit-closing wheel 0 B be held in a fixedposition whennot geared with U, and to that end it is so loaded with a weight, K,that contact J will be held removed from I T. M is an electro-magnet inthe main line, and M an electro-magnet in a branch around the arc, andboth are for the purpose of feeding the carbons. They, however, have nospecific T relation to our invention herein claimed.

Fig. 3 illustrates means for effecting a shortcircuit or closing of theby-path instantly, and

before the periodic circuit-closer can act, in

I the by-path closed, has another armature-lever, N, which, with branchI) and stop it, will form a by-path upon a marked weakening of magnetismin F. Until II has first been drawn toa front contact, armN cannot dropto lock it, as the end of N will rest iipon the end of H. Thus thebackward movement of N alone is incapable of closing theby-patha Nshould be so adjusted as not to operate upon a decrease of magnetism inF, which would drop N.

The tap-bell is operated by an electro-magnet placed in line L, which ismagnetized to cause a stroke upon the bell at each closing of said line.I

It is obvious that by meansof our invention we are enabled to whollydispense with the fine wire coils now used by many to close aby-pathcircuit, thus avoiding the danger of their being burned out.

Whatwe claim as our inventionis- V 1. In an electric lightingsystem, thecombination of aseries of electric lamps, each having tro-magnet forclosing the same, and a second line-circuit, which embraces the coils ofthe electro-magnets, for closing said shunts or bypaths.

2. The combination of a main line including the carbons of electriclamps and a normallyopen shunt or by-path, an electro-magnet in the arcbranch of the ,lamp, a secondary circuit including an electro-magnet, anarmaturelever controlled by the electro'magnet in the secondary circuit,for closing the shunt or by- I path, and an armature-lever whichis'controllecl 1 I by the electro-magnet in the arc branch,t01

3. The combination of a main line including the carbons of a series ofelectric lamps, and a by-path at each lamp, a secondary or main-linecircuit which includes the coils of an electromagnct at each lamp forclosing said bypath, and a circuit-closer for said secondary circuit.

4. The combination of main line L, having an arc branch and a by-path ata lamp, electro-magnet F, armature-lever N, secondary circuit L,electric-magnet E, armature-lever H, forming a part of the by-path, andcircuitcloser O B.

5. The combination of an arc branch for an electric lamp, a by-path,armature-lever H,

forming a part of the by-path, spring 0 and contact 0, and means forlocking armaturelever H at or near front contact.

6. The combination of an arc branch and a by-path for an electriclamp,an arm ature-lever, H, and spring 0, forming a part of the bypath,locking armature-lever N, and electro-. magnet F in the are branch.

7. The combination of an arc branch and a by-path for an electric lamp,alcver forming a part of the by-path, and a locking-lever controlled byan electro-magnet in the arc bran ch, for locking the by-path lever topermanently close the by-path.

8. The combination of an arc branch and a by-path for an electric lamp,an armature-lever forming a part of the by-path, and a locking-levercontrolled by an electro-magnet in the arc branch for holding the leverforming a part of the by-path in a position to close said by-path. v

9'. The combination of a normally-open and intermittently-closed mainline, L, including an electro-magnet, E, at each lamp, a circuit closerat the central station, and a main line, L, including an arc branch anda by-path at each electric lamp, controlled by said electromagnet.

10. A circuit-closing wheel and an electrical circuit to be closed andbroken by said wheel, in combination with means for operating the same,as described, consisting of a continuouslyrotating shaft or wheel, andmeans whereby said wheel only intermittently or periodically gears withthe circuit-closing wheel, substantially as described.

11. The combination of a. motor-pulley, P, a gear-train, a sectorgear-wheel, U, circuitclosing wheel 0 B, pinion V, and an electriccircuit which is closed and opened by said circuit-closing wheel.

12. The combination of a periodically rotating circuit-closing wheel, 0B, pinion V, gearsector U, attached to a constantly-rotating train ornotor, and an electric circuit which .is-opened and closed by saidcircuit-closing wheel.

13. Thecombination of a circuit-closing 7 an arc branch, a by-path,means for closing Signed at New York, in the county of New York andState of New York, this 17th day of November, A. D. 1883.

CHARLES L. BUGKINGHAM. HENRY G. TOWNSEND.

Witnesses:

THos. TOOMEY, GEO. G. OOFFIN.

